I’m a creative, experienced, multi-purpose artist and art director
who can take projects start to finish in a variety of styles.

Good designs sell –
my designs sell out!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

"Hybrid"

I looked through pages and pages of stock photos online for a work project, and felt my usual irritation that creative people aren’t paid nearly enough for their work, and my further irritation that I can never seem to find exactly what I want in those stock photos. 

Of course some of my irritation could be from too much work and not enough play.  I decided to go home early, but my car took a left instead of a right out of the parking lot.  I drove into the big city to Lakeview Cemetery.


Lakeview was created in a time of huge wealth in Cleveland, when cemeteries were parks for the unwashed masses to stroll around in and admire.  Us regular folk still like to stroll around there.  It really is like a park, with lots of trees and serenity and sculptures.  We wander around the winding drives and try to find weeping angels and tour the tomb of President James A. Garfield.


I suspect nobody outside of the area even knows who President Garfield was, but he was a local boy, so he got a grand tomb.  He became president in 1881, and was assassinated in the same year.  I don’t think he really did much in his 4 months of office, or during his 2 months of lingering death after getting shot, but he’s got a beautiful building for his remains with an excellent view of Lake Erie.

 
Garfield’s tomb and Wade Chapel are both on the national register of historic places.  The chapel is a small building, but it’s stunning.  There are windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and there are spectacular mosaics on the walls of Old Testament prophets by Fredrick Wilson of Tiffany Studios.  Seeing Tiffany masterpieces is like seeing Van Gogh paintings in person.  When you study that kind of thing in books or slides in a lecture, it’s hard to see what the fuss is all about.  When you see Tiffany masterpieces in the light they were designed to be in – well, it can take your breath away.  Gorgeous.


My original idea in going to Lakeview was what’s more “hybrid” than an angel?  And I knew just where to find them.  How lucky am I to have such a spectacular cemetery to spend some time shooting better angles of angels for that work project too.  Okay, so I didn’t limit myself to angels and took pictures of a lot of sculptures, angels or not.
  
I used the work camera which is, em, limited, so my apologies to my photography friends for the lack of technical brilliance with these photos.  I’ll fiddle them in PhotoShop for that work project.  The angel doodle is part of the fine layout I did.  Sometimes I like these little drawings better than the finished product.

And for those of you who use Blogger, what's up with it this weekend?!  This was ssoooooo hard to post today!

14 comments:

  1. I am so glad your car turned left and didn't take you home Linda...amazing photos....the statues are incredible but as Dr Who fan weeping angels make me quite nervous...LOL (that comment is probably going to be lost on your americans but it is true...check it out on You tube! Don't look away or you may be turned to stone ;0) Your sweet angel sketch is brilliant x

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  2. Thanks Jane! Some Americans know Dr. Who, but I've got to admit that I'm not one of them. Maybe I'll take your suggestion and watch youtube today.

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  3. How ASTOUNDING these sculptures are. And so often we take them for granted just because they don't move or speak. But stand for a bit in front of one and we find they have a lot to say... Thanks Linda. Enjoyed the images and the story greatly.

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  4. Beautiful photos and accompanying thoughts. You are truly gifted. Did you see the dam during your visit. An awesome sight.
    Pax

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  5. Ugh, sorry to hear you're having blog troubles but I can totally empathize because I had issues today as well (with Wordpress).

    But the cemetery photos are beautiful. So many cool and interesting and sad sculptures, it's almost like going back in time.

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  6. I did see the dam, John. Even took a picture of it. Seems so strange to have a massive dam in the middle of all the trees and monuments.

    I was thinking about the sculptors and models when I was taking the photos, Rand. I know the monuments are for the rich people, but regular people made them. Some of the statues look like real people, and they do speak to me in a way. They're wonderful pieces of art, and I'm glad so many people come to appreciate them.

    Thanks for the comments everybody!

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  7. We have a richie rich cemetery called Lakewood here. It is also beautiful with sculptures that outdo each other with grandness and height.

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  8. What a wonderful post, Linda. We have relatives who enjoy visiting cemetaries. I never understood it, but now as I age, and have been to more cemetaries than I can remember, I can now understand. The photos of Lakeview Cemetary are wonderful. It's great to know you have access to all the beauty and that your visit there helped your project! Thanks for poppin' by and visiting my crazy sketch-a-day blog posts..I really appreciate your kind words, Linda! Have a super week ahead!

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  9. Recently, I did a walking tour in Richmond that took us through Hollywood Cemetery. Who'd have thought it would be fun...the cemetery, that is. Actually, it's a tourist attraction and school kids go there for field trips. Some of its residents: Jefferson Davis, James Monroe, John Tyler, J.E.B. Stuart, George Pickett, etc. This IS the south, you know. :)

    I'll eventually go back for all the reasons you mentioned in this post about Lakeview Cemetery. You've planted a very different seed this week. :)

    Ps. Hope the world learns to (financially) reward your creativity as much as it enjoys it.

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  10. Somehow I'd expect you to like cemeteries Josh! Maybe you should visit Anita's? Sounds fascinating. Or maybe I should go visit there because it does sound fascinating. Plus Sharon's, but Sharon didn't give us as good of instructions to get there :) Thanks for all the comments!

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  11. Linda, what a grand place. It resembles a garden of an art museum. I understand you find lots of inspiration there.

    Your angel doodle is super cute, with her eyes as tiny hearts and a quick E as her halo.

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  12. I hear the cemetery has a full-time horticulturalist, so it really is a garden as well as an outdoor museum. I'm glad you like the angel Paula :)

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  13. I had to laugh of your statement: the car took a left. I guess sometimes we feel we are not in control of our own actions. Otherwise I do understand the frustration over stock photos. The solution: Hire a photograph. Yes, know, no need to tell me... Anyway it was fun to walk around in the cemetery with you.

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